• Scheurer, Christoph
• Girgsdies, Frank
• Reuter, Karsten
• Götsch, Thomas
• Schlögl, Robert
• Hammud, Adnan
• Haart, L. G. J. De
• Lunkenbein, Thomas
• Ivanov, Danail
• Schmidt, Franzphilipp
• Vinke, Izaak C.
• Eichel, Rüdigera.
• Türk, Hanna
• Knopgericke, Axel

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Rapid deactivation presently limits a wide spread use of high‐temperature solid oxide cells (SOCs) as otherwise highly efficient chemical energy converters. With deactivation triggered by the ongoing conversion reactions, an atomic‐scale understanding of the active triple‐phase boundary between electrolyte, electrode, and gas phase is essential to increase cell performance. Here, a multi‐method approach is used comprising transmission electron microscopy and first‐principles calculations and molecular simulations to untangle the atomic arrangement of the prototypical SOC interface between a lanthanum strontium manganite (LSM) anode and a yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte in the as‐prepared state after sintering. An interlayer of self‐limited width with partial amorphization and strong compositional gradient is identified, thus exhibiting the characteristics of a complexion that is stabilized by the confinement between two bulk phases. This offers a new perspective to understand the function of SOCs at the atomic scale. Moreover, it opens up a hitherto unrealized design space to tune the conversion efficiency.</jats:p>

Topics

• impedance spectroscopy
• simulation
• Strontium
• transmission electron microscopy
• Lanthanum
• gas phase
• sintering
• phase boundary